Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-06-09

commenced a minute inspection OF the
floor, in one corner of which, after a
long examination, he found imbedded
In the stone an iron ring"
To make the story brief, he said that
the old man discovered a narrow stone
stairway beneath the stone in which
the iron ring was fixed, and at the bot
tom a small apartment in which was
chest from which he took a metal plate
engraved with hierogiyphics. This he
concealed about his person, and after
carefully replacing the stone and filling
up the entrance to the recess with rub
bish, he disappeared.
well, whatever became of him?' I
asked. land what was the mysterious
plate?'
might be listener, and then whispered:
1T was recipe of y formula for the
making of gold.'
'eAnd the old man, what of him?"
''See here. let me tell you some
thing" and here his voice sank so low
as to be almost indistinguishable. 'Up
in the peninsula of Michigan, in place
surrounded for miles with rocks and
timber, there lives n man SO old that
nobody can guess his age. He has
surely lived more than hundred
years. He is entirely alone, and no
one, so far as the world knows, has
ever visited him. Once year he APP
pears at some point, purchases some
supplies, and then disappears. What
he buys he pays for in gold pieces-al-
ways twenty-dollar pieces, bright and
new, just like one of these and he
pulled handful of double-eagles from
the pocket of his trousers.
care these made by him?" I asked.
! Every one of them," he replied, as
he tossed a handful of them into the
sunshine. letting them fall in shim-
mering cascade, whose golden waters
mingled with the green grass.
"Why, that is counterfeiting! isn't
itp"
mo, siri There is no difference be-
tween these and those coined by the
Government. If they are exactly the
same, who is defrauded by their circu-
lation? No one.''
1 still expressed some doubts rs to
their being so like the Government
coinage that the difference, if any,
could not be detected.
''Wait till tomorrow, and will con-
vince you," was the answer.
| v.
The next day he purchased tickets to
Battle Creek and we went to the place
on the first train. We first went into
a shoe store where he purchased pair
of shoes, and in payment threw down
a double eagle. The proprietor took it
and gave him the proper change with
out any hesitation. "He may not be a
Judge of coin," 1 said after We left the
store.
''Well, let us try some one that is an
expert" We entered bank and he
threw several of the pieces on the
counter and said:
please give me change for one OF
these, and be good enough to examine
them closely, as I have reason to sus
pect they may be bogus"
1.-The banker weighed them and ther
applied an acid test. ''They are al
right he said. ''and if you are afraid
of them L viii take all you have of
your hands and give you currency il
their place"
mo, thank You. I only wished tc
be satisfied they are good"
was astounded and convinced thai
the money was as good as the genuine
And now new phase in the conduc
of my associate was developed. A
first he began to enlarge on the splen
doris of career with illimitable wealth
at ones command. And then he adj
vanced step, and suggested that We
should obtain some of this gold, and
then go our way through the world re-
joicing. He was in a position to OBJ
tain all that we required at a mere
song. l had told him about the pano
rama venture. and he proposed thai
we should redeem it. purchase wagon
, and horses and go through the coun
try, ostensibly giving panoramic exhi
bitions but in reality distributing the
, coin.
81 tell you," he said. 81 know how
we can carry all the gold we want
We will bore full of holes the bar tha
crosses under the box and fill the hole.
, with twenty-dollar pieces. Nobody
: would ever think of looking for it il
, any such place.
: Thus did he ply me for several days
, listened to him with lively curiosi
| ty. His plan seemed safe, feasible anC
, certain to be productive OF unlimited
, wealth. Often in looking back ut thi
: period of my life wonder that I die
, not yield to his glittering promises.
| was entirely alone. 1 mad failed dis
astrously in business, and saw no hope
l in the gloomy future 1 was in tina
+ condition when I cared for nobody anC
nobody Saemad RI CARA for mo Eo,